"One dreams of the goddess Fame, and winds up with the bitch Publicity." -- Peter de Vries
Lee Goldberg has posted an excerpt up from Elizabeth Royte's article Publish and Perish. According to the end of the article bio, Elizabeth is the author of two books with very long titles, and she writes for the NY Times, so we'll assume she's literati.
Personally I'm fascinated. I had no idea authors went through all this neurotic stuff. Wait, it's not a parody, is it?
And Dr. Sue, I'm telling you, a booth at the BEA is your road to riches.
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ReplyDeleteComment deleted was SPAM.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Raven of whatever you were selling. Better luck somewhere else.
I like that quote. It says it all.
ReplyDeleteTerry Reed, [author]..."likens pre-pub-date fear to the classic nightmare: "You dream you're at the party, thinking you're wearing Prada, but you look down and realize you're wearing nada."
ReplyDeletehehee. Like this quote too.
There was someone with far too much time on their hands.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I don't get it.
ReplyDeleteI just... I just don't understand. Maybe it's because I expected nothing and got a LOT more than I anticipated. Maybe it's because my agent, editor, and publicist have more confidence in me than I do. Maybe it's because I had reasonable and achievable plan. Maybe because it's about story and not about me. But, hell, other than my own internal problems - which have nothing to do with my books' sales - this gig's been great!
(Please don't come over and beat the crap out of me. I'm on a deadline.)
I swear, thanks to her and Sean Rowe, if I hear one more author piss and moan about how unfortunate they were to get published because they found out that this is a job, too, I'm taking a lead-corked Louisville Slugger to my next writer's conference.
ReplyDeleteOr I can look into doing something about my anger management issues.
I think it's because they found out that it is a job that takes everything you've got and pays less than flippin' burgers in a small town diner.
ReplyDeleteHell, what do I know? I'm just starting out. But even during the small time I've spent in the business, I have encountered more displays of the nepotism, elitism, cliques, lack of professionalism and simple human respect than I had ever had at any of my jobs.
I'm with Tammy and Jim. Why do these authors feel it's necessary to publish their whining? What did they think was gonna happen? They'd never have to actually work again? That having a book published was akin to finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I don't get is why is it that these whiners always seem to be people who got the large advances, a book tour, etc. Is anything ever good enough for these spoiled brats?
If I ever publicly whine about what happens after I'm published, smack me and make me apologize. Private whining is a part of dealing with the unexpected and doesn't count as long as you get over it. Sorry, I know I'm ranting. But I'd be happy to finish a good enough novel and build a career where I can keep writing and keep publishing. :)
Linda
What really pisses me off (Tambo, this Not about your post. It wasn't the kind of posts I'm talking about) is when you read some author's blog and they whine about being on a deadline, or five deadlines, and needing to "finish this sucker by Christmas" or fishing for sympathy because it's oh so hard to be on a deadline. Hello darling? Don't like deadlines? Stop being published. Go back to your old life and write at the comfortable pace. You did it to yourself. You, and no one else. No one crashed the deadline over your head, and made you sign three times more contracts than you can possible handle.
ReplyDeleteOkay. I need anger management too ;)
Kvetching about the deadlines I can handle. It's an occupational hazard, and speaking as one who's managed to pile five projects up all at once, you can't not vent about it.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'll take the deadlines over the day job. Just not with the day job.
But please, spare me the whining about having to work for six-figure advances. If the real world were fair, EVERYONE who made six figures would have to work harder than those making only five.
At least I know I won't lose $27 on Sean Rowe's book.
What about the whining midlist authors? The ones who make, like, five thousand? :)
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